Two veterans add depth to the Denver Cutthroats 2014-15 roster

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The Denver Cutthroats announced today the return of forward J.P. Chabot and defenseman Steve Kaunisto.

Chabot is a two-year veteran with the Cutthroats, having joined the team during the inaugural season. “We are happy to have ‘Chabby’ back with the Fish for a third season,” said Denver Cutthroats Head Coach Brad Smyth. “His gritty in-your-face style of hockey, coupled with his ability to score big goals has made him a key player in our lineup, as well as a fan favorite.”

During the 2013-14 regular season, the Quebec City, Quebec native scored 20 goals with 151 penalty minutes in 65 games. He contributed with five goals and 26 penalty minutes during the Cutthroats 16-game playoff run. “I look forward to returning,” said Chabot. “The playoffs obviously didn’t end up the way we wanted, but we are looking good for the upcoming season. Denver is a great city to play hockey in, we have good fans and it should be a really fun atmosphere.”

Teammate Steve Kaunisto was added to the Denver Cutthroats roster for the 2013-14 season. He played all 66 games during the regular season and notched 37 assists and eight goals. In 15 games during the playoffs, the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan native tallied 12 points with 10 assists. “Steve was one of the more improved players throughout the entire league last season,” said Smyth. “We look forward to him providing offense from the backend. With a full year of experience with the Cutthroats under his belt we feel he is only going to get better."

Kaunisto previously played with four Central Hockey League teams; 63 games with the Wichita Thunder in 2010-11 and during the following season he suited up with the Allen Americans, Missouri Mavericks and Arizona Sundogs. “I am definitely excited to be coming back to Denver,” said Kaunisto. “We have a lot to do. The last season didn’t finish the way we wanted it to and we want to come back this season and finish what we started.”

The Denver Cutthroats will be back in action at the Denver Coliseum in the fall of 2014. Season tickets and mini-plans are available at DenverCutthroats.com or by calling 303.295.3474.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.